West Ham midfielder Mohamadou Kanté, 21, has been called up to the Mali national team for the first time by head coach Anthony Da Silva, who has named him in his squad for the double header against Rwanda, according to Afrique-sur7.
Mohamadou Kanté, born in Paris on 20 September 2005, grew up in France. Courted by Senegal, he could also have played for France, but it is Mali who have called him up for the first time, according to Afrique-sur7.
The 21-year-old midfielder, who stands 1.95m tall, plays for West Ham, the London club that signed him in August 2024. He is now on Da Silva’s list for the two matches against Rwanda.
A path between Paris and London
Trained at Jeunesse Aubervilliers, Kanté joined the Paris FC academy in 2021. West Ham signed him in August 2024, then left him on loan at Paris FC in Ligue 2 for a season before extending his contract until 2031, according to Afrique-sur7.
His Premier League debut came on 4 December 2025, in the 83rd minute of a draw against Manchester United (1-1).
Strikes that made their mark
As of 4 November 2026, he has made 16 appearances and scored 3 goals for West Ham in all competitions, along with 2 assists in his last nine matches, again according to Afrique-sur7. His first goal came on 5 September against Derby County (3-0), a 20-metre strike in stoppage time; six days later, he did it again against Wrexham (6-0).
On 19 September at Millwall, his 25-metre strike in the 74th minute sparked his side’s comeback (2-2), before he was sent off in the 89th minute, his only red card of the season.
The club has also changed manager: West Ham parted company with former head coach Nuno Espírito Santo on 3 November, with the team 8th in the table. The following day, the club handed the reins to head coach Scott Parker for two and a half years.
Rwanda in their sights
Mali host Rwanda on Friday 13 November 2026 in Bamako, before travelling to the same opponents on Tuesday 17 November 2026, in the AFCON 2027 qualifiers.
For Kanté, this camp will be his first with the Mali national team.